Nehemiah 9:6-20 A History Lesson for Israel part 1

Introduction

Someone once said “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future”

The problem with Israel is they kept forgetting whose they were. They were and still are God’s chosen people, they just didn’t always act like it.

Here in the remainder of Chapter 9 we will see the Levites reminding them whose they are and how they got where they are.

The Creator God vs. 6

God is God alone 6a

Exodus 20:2–3 “2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

This was an important reminder because the reason they were in exile was because they kept falling into idolatry

Deut 6:4 “4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

God created everything 6b

The last part of verse 6 is almost a summary of Genesis 1-2.

Praising God begins with acknowledging that He created everything and that he controls everything.

By reminding them that God created everything they were reminded that they are accountable to the creator.

I like what one commentator said “I would propose that the modern mythology of naturalistic evolution—Darwinism, materialism, all that mythological explanation of where the world came from—is all an elaborate dodge. It’s all an attempt to remove man’s responsibility to his Creator. There is one living and true God who made you, and you are accountable to Him.”

We are accountable to God and we should praise Him!

The God of Abraham vs.7-8

Again The Levites starts this history lesson with reminding them about the Lord the God, or the God of Abraham. vs. 7a

Abram chosen and brought out of the Ur of the Chaldees vs. 7b

This is Genesis 12.

and gavest him the name of Abraham vs. 7c

This happened in Genesis 17.

And foundest his heart faithful before thee 8a

This is Genesis 15:6 “6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Abraham was saved the same way we are by believing in The Lord.

Then we see the Levites talk about the covenant made to Abraham

Genesis 15:7–20 KJV 1900

7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

Everything God had promised Abraham was completed.

God keeps His word and is righteous.

God does what he says he will

The Exodus and the wilderness wandering vs 9-21

After seeing God as creator and as the God of Abraham now we come to God who took care of His children in Egypt and the Wilderness. vs 9a

God saw the afflictions that they had endured in Egypt

Exodus 2:24 “24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

Exodus 3:7 “7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”

He also heard their cry at the red sea vs 9b

Exodus 14:10 “10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.”

The Levites then give a quick summary of the 10 plagues vs 10a

The Ten Plagues showed the Egyptians that God is the only God!

The Egyptians dealt proudly or arrogantly with the Israelites so God reminded them who he was and “Made himself a name” by getting them out of Egypt

Exodus 18:11 “11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”

The same God that led Israel out of Egypt is the same God they served here in the rebuilt Jerusalem and the Same God we serve today.

The red sea was divided for the Israelites vs. 11a

Imagine as this story is retold and the Israelites are reminded of the amazing event where their fathers crossed the red sea on dry ground.

The red sea destroyed the Egyptians that followed the Israelites

Exodus 15:4–5 “4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 5 The depths have covered them: They sank into the bottom as a stone.”

Then they were reminded of the Cloud that led them by day and the fire that led them at night as they spent 40 years in the wilderness vs. 12

This is found in Exodus 19-20.

We call it the wilderness wandering, but really they were led by God

Then we see the law given at Mount Sinai

He gave them right judgements

true laws

good statues and commandments

Made the sabbath known to them

Commanded them precepts, statutes, and laws, which were given by the hand of Moses.

After the Levites reminded them of the exodus and the events of Sinai now they move on to God’s provision in the wilderness vs. 15

God provided bread to their door step and water from a rock while they were in the wilderness.

Then the levites tell us of the sin that the Israelites commited in the wilderness

They dealt proudly and were stiffnecked.

The word proudly is the same word as verse 10. The Egyptians dealt proudly with people, but the Israelites dealt proudly with God.

Over and over they threatened to go back to Egypt

Despite all their failure God still pardoned them through grace and mercy

Even after they Made a golden calf God forgave them

Exodus 34:6–7 “6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

The levites finish this section by reminding them again of the goodness of God.

The lord gave his good spirit to instruct them

This is likely a reference to the 70 elders who helped Moses in leading the people found in Numbers 11.

Verse 21 The Levites remind them of the sustaining power of God.

God sustained them 40 years in the wilderness

He provided Manna

water

The clothes they wore didn’t wear out

And there feet didn’t swell.

Conclusion

So far we saw the God of creation, the God of Abraham, The God of the Exodus and we see that He is the same God we serve today and He is still taking care of His creation!